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Sen. John McCain endorsed a tough Arizona anti-immigration bill Monday, despite his history of support for comprehensive immigration reform.
AP Photo

McCain’s comments to reporters came as he and fellow Republican Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl unveiled a 10 step plan to secure Arizona’s border with Mexico. McCain and Kyl want to send 3,000 National Guard troops to help an overstretched border patrol curtail increasingly violent incidents along the border, among other measures.

McCain said the plan did not need to move in tandem with a potential federal immigration reform bill.

“The lesson is clear: First we have to secure the border,” McCain said. "If you want to enact some other reforms, how can that be effective when you have a porous border?"

"So we have to secure the border first," he said.

McCain asked the federal government for more National Guard troops last year, but the request was not granted. The National Guard has been deployed to protect the border before, Kyl said, but troops were moved out as the war in Iraq escalated and their capabilities were needed elsewhere.

Sens. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) are writing a bipartisan immigration bill the administration says it wants to push through Congress this year. Lawmakers have been meeting with business and labor interests to try and hash out an agreement.

Schumer argued Monday that his proposal is actually more stringent than Arizona’s.

“We believe our blueprint is even stronger than the Arizona senators’ proposal in stopping the flow of illegal immigrants because our plan both increases border security and prevents employers from hiring illegal immigrants,” Schumer said in a statement Monday. “The only way to combat illegal immigration is through comprehensive reform because that is the only solution that can get through both the House and the Senate. We would certainly be open to negotiating a comprehensive bill that requires completion of border security measures before any other measures take effect.”

McCain was a key author of immigration reform during President George W. Bush’s second term, and has previously championed many of the border security measures included in the package he unveiled Monday.

But with the Senate still bitterly divided in the wake of health reform and heading toward a broad array of other major legislation, there is little appetite for an issue as divisive as immigration.

Readers' Comments (187)

This arrest procedure includes the hispanic housewife (third generation US citizen) who ran to the emergency room with her sick baby in tow, but who forgot her ID in the process of leaving in a panic. Way to go McCain, you total idiot.

McCain, Crist, and company need to quit selling their souls to the devil and actually stand up for what they believe in. If these candidates were truly smart, they would all start working on their run for Congress under the Independent banner and screw the GOP. There are still many of us who believe in these so called "RINOs".

McCain, Crist, and company need to quit selling their souls to the devil and actually stand up for what they believe in. If these candidates were truly smart, they would all start working on their run for Congress under the Independent banner and screw the GOP. There are still many of us who believe in these so called "RINOs".

This is the issue that will cost McCain his government job. The American people on both sides of the aisle are solidly against amnesty and illegal immigration. McCain would actually be very electable if not for his record supporting amnesty and being soft on enforcing our immigration laws.

McCain, Crist, and company need to quit selling their souls to the devil and actually stand up for what they believe in. If these candidates were truly smart, they would all start working on their run for Congress under the Independent banner and screw the GOP. There are still many of us who believe in these so called "RINOs".

Sami . . . . your idealism is admirable, but like many of us, you're fooled by personality . . . .McCain, Crist & Company ARE standing up for what they believe in . . . "whatever they think is 'hot' at the moment' . I'm not all that familiar with Crist, but I've watched, and been chagrined by McCain for years - tho not for the same reason as you. He will say anything to please anyone, and he stands for nothing. If he thinks that joining in with some Democrats to thwart a conservative action will earn him some media points, he'll jump right to it . . . . if he thinks talking tough in immigration will buy him some votes, he's Sheriff Joe --

Consistency in belief is where it's at, Sami -- not someone who waffles back and forth.

This guy is just another R.I.N.O. who needs to be retired. All U.S. border areas, north and south, should be patrolled by Border Patrol AND National Guard. The Guard can use the border areas for vital training as well as backup for the Border Patrol and local police forces. It's insane that we have thousands of troops in the Middle East and we're being invaded on our own borders with no one to stop them.

Here in Arizona as mccain and kennedy were trying for Amnesty Arizonan's were passing immigration laws by 68% of the votes, nomccain2010.bravehost.com/bills.html Now he's all for it. www.mccainslobbyists.com/

John McCain will say just about anything to hold on to power. It's really very sad what's happened to this Senator. The Arizona law is responsible, and should become the model for all other border states. The law doesn't allow for 'identity road blocks', only that officers, during the course of their daily duties, may choose to detain a persons or persons who cannot adequately identify themselves. This has always been the case when an officer pulls someone over and they can't show proof or identity and insurance. The same would likely hold true if an Officer stops a suspicious person who looks 'out of place' in a neighborhood that's experiencing high burglary or vandalism. Those who are concerned about being detained because they left their license at home during an emergency should recognize that Police are trained to use discretion, and rushing a child to a hospital probably falls under that rubric. The fact that a third generation Grandmother might be expected to speak fluent English would likewise reinforce the officers use of discretion. A great deal of the expectations we have for Law Enforcement is that they be pro-active in preventing crimes. If an Officer see's something suspicious, they have my approval to question as they see fit, and if there is demonstrable concern that someone is an illegal alien, they have my full support to detain and investigate those people.

Whatever happened to John McCain? He just seems to go wherever public opinion blows him these past few years. So much for principles: he would back ANY position if he thought it would help him keep his seat.